Denene Millner > Quotes

“My blood flows back to my enslaved ancestors. My blood flows through everything, everyone.”
― Denene Millner, One Blood

“They were talking in circles, and he could not hear her over his anger and defensiveness and ego - over his aggressive need to frame the narrative. For eight years, she was human scaffolding, doing this rickety, dangerous, exhausting work all around his frame while he stretched toward the sky, this inanimate object trying to be glorious, but busy casting shadows on all that surrounded it. On her. She couldn’t do it anymore. Finally, Rae had come to an understanding with herself that she wasn’t obligated to.”
― Denene Millner, One Blood

“Gotta love the gray like you do the colors. Can’t have one without the other.”
― Denene Millner, One Blood

“You dip mighty low if you doing to yo' baby what a cracka would. Chir'ren is a gift, and the mamas and daddies running 'round laying hands on 'em like they a dog. Running the god right out 'em.”
― Denene Millner, One Blood

“When do we get to the part when we stop acting like the men are the prize?”
― Denene Millner, One Blood

“Destressing can literally save your life.”
― Denene Millner, One Blood

“Take away the husband, the career, the kids. Those are the things society says we women should be happiest about. Like we should be grateful for stiff dicks when we’re not in the mood, and getting smacked in the face at two in the morning when your kid pees in the bed for the third night in a row, and your job keeps you an extra two, three hours a couple times a week to do extra work you’re not getting paid for because you’re on salary and a team player. Whew—happy happy joy joy, right? But strip that down. What really makes you happy?”
― Denene Millner, One Blood

“Ain’t nothing wrong with hard work or a healthy respect for the things it brings you.”
― Denene Millner, One Blood